Journal-box lid



Nov. 29, 1927.

H. 5. BRAUTIGAM JOURNAL BOX LID Original Filed May 1926 H i s ATTORNEY5 atent e d Nov. 29 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT ori ce.

HAROLD S. BRAUTIGAM, 02E BRACiK ENRIDG-E, PENNfiYLVANLA, ASSIGNOR T ALLE GHENY STEEL COMPANY. A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.-

JOURNAL-BOX LID.

Application-filed May 4, 1926. Serial No. 106,606. Renewed September 17, 1928.

This invention relates to journal boxes for railway car trucks and more particularly to lids for such boxes and springs for closing the same. y

The standard A. R. A. (American Rail way Assn.) journal box for railway car trucks is provided with alid or cover hinged along its top edge to the box and with a spring by means of which the lid is held in either open or closed position. Various types of springs or spring devices have been suggested for use in this connection, but with those most commonly used, the lid, when in closed position, bears tightly only on the lower box face and stands away varying distances from the side and top box faces. This is necessarily so on account ofthe construction and operation of this spring.

Within the last few years, journal box lid closing spring means have appeared and at least one of these providesa self adjusting structure by means of which the lid is caused to bear evenly and tightly on the top, sides and bottom faces which define the journal box opening and this, irrespective of the fit of the lid scrolls on the hinge pin or the fit of the hinge pin within its hole in the box lug. I

The lid and lid closing means to which reference has been made is disclosed in an application for patent filed by Leigh V. I- ostettler and employs a torsion springfanda spring tensioning member whichis mount ed on the hinge pin and bea-rson the spring on the opposite side thereof from the lid proper.

An object ofthis invention is to producea device broadly functioning in the same manher as the device of said Hostettler application, but which is simpler and cheaper for the reason that it avoids the use of a spring tensioning member.

This, as well as other objects which will readily appear tothose skilled in this particular art, I attain by means of the structure described in the specification and-illustrated in the drawings accompanying and I forming part of this application.

In the drawings, Figure l is an end ele' vation of a'journal box showing this invert tion in connection therewith and Fig. 2 is longitudinal sectional view partly broken away and taken on the line 2 -2 of Fig; 1.

In the drawings, the journal box properbis provided with a flat faced top wall 3, a flat faced bottom wall 4 and side walls 5 which also have flat facesand which lie in the plane of the top and bottom walls.

The mouth formed by these walls is rec tangular and is inclined as shown, as is now and PIOjGCtS outwardly therefrom beyond each end of the lug 6 to receive the lid scrolls. i i

The journal box lid is of rectangular out line and is preferably stamped from sheet metal such as steel. The lidchosen for illustrationis provided with a depending marprojects from its lower edge. The lid is stiffened by being embossed as shown.

The lid scrolls 13 project upwardly from the: lid body proper and embrace the hinge pin 10 on opposite sidesof the box lug and are soformed as to provide spaces on opposite sides ofthe box lugor between the ends of the box lug'and the lid scrolls. V c

The scrolls are so formed as to provide substantial clearance between their inner curved surfaces and the hinge pin which they embrace. The clearance is preferably greatest at right angles or perpendicular to theplane of thelid proper. or box face when the lid is in closed position;

'ginalflange 11 and a finger piece 12 which The lid is held in closed position by means of the spring which is so formed and so mounted that its closing pressure is applied to the center of the lid whereby the lid is caused to bear evenly over the entire box face which includes the top, bottom and sides.

The spring is preferably formed from round steel wire and carries an anti-friction roller which, bears on one or the other of thecam faces of the box lug depending upon whether the'lid is in open or in closed position v p The roller 15 is placed in position at the center of the length" of wire from which the spring is made and before the same is bent to form.

The spring is double and bilaterally symmetrical. The -roller 15 is carried by the portion 16 which connects the two'halves.=

The freeends 17 are bent inwardly so as to project one toward: theoth'er and are anchored to the lid by retaining plate 18 which is riveted in place. At an intermediate portion19 each half is coiled about the hinge pin 10 and the portions 20 between these coils and the free ends 17, are curved'away from the lid on the arc of a circle. Portions 21 leavethe coils 19 on the under side of the hinge pin and extend upward above the hinge pin and thenbend upon themselves and extend downwardly and join one another in connecting portion 22 which carries anti-friction roller 15;

- From the preceding description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be apparent that the spring device exerts its pressure at the center of the lid and will cause the lid to bear evenly over theventire box face, since thereis nothing tending to lift the top of the lid away from the box face. The function of retaining plate 18 is to tie the lid and spring together when the in manufactureor those'arising from wear 7 a what is claimed is:---

lid is in open position and when moving from open to closed position. I

From theconstruction shown, 'it will be apparent that variations due to inaccuracies of the partsare compensated device is self fitting; I Having thus described for, since the this invention,

1. In a journal box,,tlie combination with the box proper provided with-a spring hearing lug-and having a lid pivotally connectedythereto by means of a hinge. pin

which extends through'the lug, of means-for appl 'ng a substantially equally distributed yie ing pressure against the outer face of the lid near theicenterv thereof, said means comprising a spring element'having a portion thereof anchored to the lid, two portions whichencircle the hinge pin on opposite sides of said lug an'd a portion which extends above andbeypnd the hinge pin is 'portions'fare coiled above the hinge pin on o posite sides of said lug and another por- -tion; which extends from said coiled portions above and beyond the hinge pin is-bent upon: itself and cooperates with said lug.

3. In a journal box the combination with the box proper providedwitha spring bearinglug and having a lid pivotally connected thereto by. means of a hinge pin which ex tends through the lug, of means for applying a substantially equallydistributed yielding pressure against the outer face of the lid near the center thereof, said means comprising a spring element having its ends anchored to thejlid, intermediate portions which encircle the hinge pin on opposite sides of said lug and a portion which extends above and beyond the hinge in, is bent upon itself and carries an antiiction member which bears on said lug; s j

4. In a journal box the combination with the box proper provided with a spring bearing lug and having alid pivotally connected thereto, of means for a plyinga substantially equally distribute yielding pressure against the outer face of the lidnear the "1 centerv thereof, said means comprising a double bilaterally symmetrical spring with the freesend of each half anchored to the lid, intermediate portions which encircle the hinge pin .onopposite sides of said lug and a central portion, which extendsabove and beyond the hinge pin andv carries an antifriction member which bears on said lug.

5, In a journal box, the combination with the-box proper provided with a spring bearing lug and having a'lid pivotally connected thereto, of means for applying a substantially equally distributed yielding pressure against the outer faceof the'lid near the center thereof, said means comprising 1a double bilaterally symmetrical spring with the free endof each half anchored to the lid, intermediate v portions which encircle the hinge pin on opposite sides of said lug inglug and having a lid pivotallylconnected theretoby means of a h nge pin which ex;

and a central portion which extends above M 4 tends through the lug, of means for applying a substantially equally distributed yielding pressure against the outer face of the lid near the center thereof; said means 1 comprising a double bilaterally symmetrical spring with the free end of each half anchored to the lid, spaced intermediate portions each of which is coiled about the hinge subscribed my name this 19th day of April,

HAROLD S. BRAUTIGAM. 

